Wyndham Resorts Complaint - Reward Points Notification

I stayed at a Days Inn in Groton CT July 2 primarily because it was a partner of Northwest Airlines. When I checked in at the hotel the desk clerk told me that to get reward points for my airline I had to enroll in the Wyndham Rewards program. I did that when I returned from vacation, July 11. Now I find out, from Wyndham, that my miles will not be credited because I did not indicate a preference before staying at their property. The clerk did not tell me that I had to indicate a preference before enrolling, and I will never accumulate Wyndham points. Wyndham customer service says its hands are tied by the airlines, and the airline says it is up to their "partner".

I want to get credited for my Northwest Airlines account, not Wyndham. Just because their employee didn't know about the restriction, or didn't tell me, I should not be penalized. This "restriction" is also not mentioned anywhere on the Northwest Worldperks web site.